Emrys, The Elves Rider
by Holmes1216
Summary: Arya, Eragon and Saphira find a broken Merlin on their doorstep and take him in. Ten years later, he returns to Camelot on an ambassador's mission for the Varden. Arthur is confused at seeing his old friend like this and after a rocky start welcomes him once more. But Merlin is a broken hearted man and who will pick up the pieces for him? DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything!


He wasn't Merlin any more. Not after it had happened. He was Emrys now. He repeated this over and over in his head as he rode with Eragon and the elves to camelot. Not Merlin. Emrys.

"You okay Em?" asked Arya. He smiled tightly at his friend and nodded. In truth he was anything but fine but no one needed to know that

"Bit stressed" he answered shortly

"I know the feeling mate" muttered Eragon. Mer-Emrys, now, he was Emrys. He glared at the castle towering above them as they rode into the citadel. It had been ten years since Merlin had gone

**XXX**

_"Arthur stop it! You're being stupid!" Merlin yelled, reaching towards his friend. Arthur turned on him_

_"How would you know? You're nothing! Just a pitiful farm boy!" he growled. Merlin stepped back_

_"You can't mean that" he whispered. Arthur smirked coldly_

_"I do. You're nothing to me! Just a servant!" he said. Merlin turned on his heel and ran out of the hall. He took his horse and rid away. To the elves, they could protect him_

**XXX**

Emrys shuddered at the memory. Eragon looked upon his fellow Rider in concern from his mount. He remembered finding him.

**XXX**

_Eragon laughed with Arya and Saphira and turned to leave but an alien conscious invaded his mind_

_**Help me, please help me.** It cried. He whirled to face Arya  
_

_"Can you hear that?" he asked. Arya nodded  
_

_"Follow me" she said and with that, the trio walked out into the forest  
_

_**Please. Kilgharrah, help me please. Arthur...magic...Please!**  
_

_They found him leaning against a tree, sobbing into the neck of a forest horse. Arya raised her sword  
_

_"Who are you?" she asked coolly. The man raised his face and suddenly Arya dropped her saw the pointed tips of his ears and rushed forwards. The man called out in a foreign language_

_"Σας παρακαλώ! Βοήθησέ με! Είμαι σαν κι εσένα!" Saphira reared her head  
_

_"Μιλάς τη γλώσσα μας;"  
_

_"ναί" he replied. She nuzzled into his shoulder and he smiled weakly. Arya shook her dark head  
_

_"Who are you, brother?" she asked. He looked up at her and opened his mouth before he shut it and murmured something. Arya frowned and he repeated it, loud and clear  
_

_"I am Emrys"_

**_X_XX**

Emrys smiled slightly as he saw the vilagers, who gaped openly at the sight of the former manservant wearing a royal's clothing wearing a intricate and obviously unique sword at his hip. He grinned slightly as he saw this and turned to wave at a few people. Arya and Eragon, who knew of Emrys' past smiled slightly and chuckled. They dismounted and all three Riders called their dragons, who came flying down from the sky. Kilgharrah, Saphira, Firnen and little Aithusa all landed next to their Rider's, two in Emrys' case. Aithusa sensed his distress and murmured

What's wrong? Merlin growled a bit and Aithusa got the message. Kilgharrah was an entirely different case

Tell me, young warlock

It's nothing. I'm just...

Angry, feel abandoned, lonely? the huge dragon seemed to miss the discomfort he was causing Emrys until Aithusa gave him the message through a rather painful tail jab. Emrys chuckled and shared an exasperated look with Saphira. The elves were fascinated about how he could connect to other Rider's dragons, but, being a Dragonlord, he had a natural empathy with all dragons. He was having a rather interesting conversation about The Varden with her when Arya tapped him on the arm and said

"It's time" he gulped and swallowed, he'd been dreading facing Arthur. But nonetheless he led the rest into the castle, without the dragons of course. He met several people on the way. All of them he used to know. George even bowed to him. GEORGE! He was slightly disturbed by this but shook his head and carried on anyway. He saw Gwen also. His heart lurched painfully as she came around the corner, dressed in finery. The last time he'd seen her was at the coronation, just before It happened. She smiled politely at them, his heart sank, she didn't recognize him? He supposed he did look different, more, pointy but mostly the same. She didn't know it was him. She smiled again

"Ah.. You're from the Varden are you not?' she inquired. Merlin smiled weakly

"Yes, my lady, indeed we are" he said. She smiled once more and walked away, leaving him staring at the point she'd stood at. Eragon patted his shoulder

"Come on Emrys, let's go" he said gently, pulling Emrys from his stupor. He nodded and carried on, pushing his feelings away once more, brushing minds with Aithusa and Kilgharrah for reassurance. He smiled sadly as they waited outside the throne room, waiting for the king. Emrys had lost all hope in that destiny years ago, but now all he wanted was to see his old friends once more. They arranged themselves into a triangle, Emrys at the front. The great wooden door creaked open and they strode in, he registered the guards cry of

"The ambassador's of the Varden!" but he was totally focused on Arthur's face, the same face that had told him he was worthless, just a servant.

* * *

Arthur's jaw went slack. The doors opened and here was three people striding into the room. Merlin hadn't changed much, his cheekbones were more pronounced, his ears were pointed at the tips and he looked older, and no longer had that innocence that he'd had in Camelot. His blue eyes, once twinkling and mirthful, now wise and intense we're fixed on his. What could he say? The last time he'd seen Merlin, he'd told the poor kid that he meant nothing to him, that he was a stupid farm boy, that he was worthless. He hadn't meant any of that, but before he' had the chance to apologize, Merlin was reported missing, his horse gone. Arthur had been lost in his room for a week, so sad over his loss and guilt that not even Gwen could pull him from his stupor

And now here was his friend, damn them all, his brother, standing in front of him, eyes full of pain and hurt, standing in line with Arthur's old enemies. So he'd gone to the elves had he? Well, he wasn't getting an apology from Arthur until he explained why exactly he was in league with Arthur's enemies.

* * *

Merlin smiled tightly at the gasps that ran through the hall and began his speech

"We come from the Varden. We are not you're enemies. Lady Nasuada wishes peace between us and we are here to beg for a treaty" he said. Arthur drew himself up

"I swore I would never associate with your people" he declared. Merlin smirked

"Never say never." he said quietly. Arthur frowned

"What?"

"Never say never. I thought that you would never hurt me, not really. Look at what happened" he said. The icy dagger that had been quashed by Arthur a month after Merlin had run drove further into his heart. Gwen frowned

"What do you...?" Merlin sighed and turned to her

"Don't you recognize me Guinevere?" he said. Gwen gasped

"Merlin?" she asked. Merlin nodded

"You never came looking. I checked. You didn't care" he said sadly. Gwen bit her lip

"Oh Merlin I wanted to but Arthur-"

"It's always _him!_" Merlin spat "Always! I spend half my life protecting him! I _always_ picked up the pieces, but who picked me up? BECAUSE NO ONE. EVER. DID!" he shouted, tears pouring down his face. Gaius walked up to him but Merlin turned on him

"Don't go there. Don't" he ordered. "And anyway. I'm not Merlin any more. My name is Emrys. Dragon Rider"


End file.
